Interchangeable letter sign



June 23, 1953 J. w. E. SIMPSON 2,642,685

- INTERCHANGEABLE LETTER SIGN Filed April 12, 1 949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. J3me W5. J/MPsa/v Patented June 23, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 2,642,686

INTERCHANGEABLE LETTER SIGN Jack W. E. Simpson, Richmond, Va. IApplication April 12, 1949, Serial No. 87,092

1 Claim. (01. 40-443) This invention relates to a sign and supportingmeans therefor and a method of locating and mountingthe same.

Three dimensional signs have come into quite general use in recent yearsbecause of their obvious impressive and striking appearance asdistinguished from conventional signs painted on fiat surfaces. Thesesigns have been largely of two general types, namely, track mounted andfree standing. The former embodies supporting tracks or bracketsextending throughout the length of the sign to which the individualletters or other characters are secured. These tracks can be readilymounted horizontally or in other desired positions according to thenature of the sign-andsimplify themounting and supporting of the lettersor other characters. The tracks, of course, are visible, and areinclined to detract somewhat from the sign as well as to add to the costthereof.

Free standing signs, of course, are capable of use only where there is asupporting ledge or other surface over which the sign characters may bearranged. The proper alignment and general arrangement of the signcharacters also involves no particular problem in free standing signs,it being relatively easy, for example, to support all of the signcharacters the same distance above a horizontal ledge so that thecharacters are properly aligned.

The use of individually mounted sign characters is highly desirable fortwo reasons. first place, the supporting means thereforoan be madesubstantially invisible, thus adding to the attractiveness of the sign.In the second place, the supporting devices for individually supportedsign characters are cheaper to manufacture and easier to handle than thesupporting means for track mounted-signs. "However, the use ofindividually supported sign characters introduces a substantialdifliculty in the proper locating of the sign characters, it beingnecessary to individually locate each sign character, which cannotreadily be done by the average mechanic.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel thirdtype of three dimensional sign, namely, individually mounted signcharacters, each of which has itsown-supporting means associatedtherewith. v 1

A further object is to provide a highly simplified type of sign or signcharacter supporting means which may be quickly and economically placedin position and Whereinthe sign characters are readily removable for thepurpose of Inthe V curatelyspotted by the use of a simple template.

A further object is to provide a novel sign character mounting of thetype referred to wherein the -dislodgementof the sign characters isprevented while at the same time permit ing easy removal of'thecharacters.

A further object is to provide a novel method or laying out thearrangement of the characters of a sign relative to each other tofacilitate the application of the sign adjacent the surface with respectto which it is to be supported.

A further object is to provide a novel'method 0f the character referredto wherein a template for determining the mounting of the Signcharacters may be shipped along with the latter and the supporting meanstherefor, and wherein the acter and supporting means therefor shown inits mounted-position with respect to a supporting surface,

Figure 2. is a sectional view taken vertically parallel to and justrearwardly of the sign character, the latter being shown in constructionlines,

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view on line 3--3 of Figure 2, I

Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view of one of the hangers, Figure 5is a detailed perspective view of a template adapted for use with theparticular character shown in Figures 1 and 2 for spotting thesupporting means,

Figure 6 is a plan view of a work table showing one step in themethod oflaying out the complete sign template, Figure 'I is a similar viewshowing the template completed,

Figure 8 is a face view of the sign template arranged in'position onthesign supporting surface, a sign to be mounted being indicated in brokenlines on the template, and

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the work table showing the sign templateand an individual character template in working position thereon.

Referring to Figure l, the numeral iii designates a sign character shownin the present instance as the letter R, It will be obvious, of course,that the mounting means described below is applicable to any letter,number, or other sign character. In accordance with conventionalpractice in this type of sign, the charactersare relatively thick andpreferably formed of a series of wood laminations I I (Figure 3) theletters being out from plywood having waterproof bonding between thelaminations. Obviously, the characters may be made of plastic or anyother suitable material.

plates the inclusion in such package of a template through the use ofwhich the completed Si n may be quickly and accurately placed in pos t oIn this connection, it is pointed out that in.

, The present invention eliminates all diiiiculties of At a plurality ofspaced points-on the back face I of each character is arranged aplurality of character to limit the threaded depth of penetrationof thethreaded ends l4 into the character so that the downturned inner ends ISon each hanger will lie in a common vertical plane Dar-'- allel to theplane of the rear face of the character.

Each downturned end I'Sis adapted for insertion in .an opening l8 formedin the horizontal arm of a small angular supporting bracket 9. Thevertical arm of each bracket is apertured as at for the insertion of awood screw 2! or any other suitable securing element.

Each depending end 16 has its lower extremity rounded as at 24 andvertically split as at 25. The purpose of this construction Wi1l1bereferred to later. v

The supporting means for the sign characters is extremely simple inconstruction andeconomi cal to manufacture, and'the supporting elementsfor each letter may be located relative toeach other very easily inaccordance with the practice,

, is provided preferably with an upper opening 27 and a pair of loweropenings 28 corresponding in position to the desired location of theshanks [3 of the'hangers' l2, an'd also corresponding inarrangement tothe desired locations of the fastene ing elements 2|, asfurtherdescribed below. 'It will be obvious that each individualcharacter is provided with a corresponding template, and the number andarrangement of the openings in each 7 plates 26 will be placed inposition by a skilled sign mechanic with the'proper spacing betweentemplate will depend upon'the type and size of each character. At leastthree openings are em this character involved in the erection of theSign.

' Referring to Figure 6, the numeral 32 desi nates awork table ofsubstantial length on the top of which is fixed a positioning guide 33having a horizontal flange 34 fixed to the top of t worktable. Thepositioning guide further in cludes an inwardly extending horizontalflange 35 spaced slightly above the surface of the table as clearlyshown in Figure 9.

A sign template 38 of flexible material such as heavy paper is arrangedon the table top in the manner shown in Figures 6, '7 and 9. Thematerial for the sign template may be in roll formand a sufficientlength of the material is unrolled, according to the approximate lengthof the sign, the strip torn from the roll preferably being substantially longer than necessary. .This sheet is arranged on the tabletop and one edge is slid beneath the flange 35. The free edge.39 of thepositioning guide is straight and accordingly forms a straight edge forlocatingthe bottom edges of the sign characters. In general, it may bestated that the totallength of a sign,- in inches,

will be the product of the height ofthe sign letters in inches andthenumber of letters in the sign. The sign outlined inFigure 6 containsfive letters and assuming that the letters are six inches in height, thetotal length of the sign will be approximately thirty inches. Thislength, or any other length in accordance with particular conditions,having been determined, the template 38 will be marked with two verticallines 40 and H. The

character template 26 for the first letter of the sign, "R. in thiscase, will be arranged with its left hand edge coincident with the line48. A template 26 for the last letter, O in this case,

will be arranged with its right hand limit coincident with the line 4|.These templates will be vertically arranged with the bottoms thereof incontact with the edge 39, and the remaining temthe letters. Theseletters or other characters having been located, a suitable implementwill be employed for punching openings 42 (Figure 7) in p the templatesheet 38. After all of these openings have been punched fora given sign,the template is completed and ready for use. I

ing position against the back faces of the indi vidual character It, andmarks are placed on the backsof the characters through the openings 2?and 2 8 to locate the centers for the shanks I3 of the hangers-Preferably, these marks are made with a pointed instrument to provide anindentation sufficiently deep to start the threads I4 when the hangersl2- are to be attached to the'characters. The hangers [2 may be attachedto the characters at the factory, but preferably are placed in a bag orseparate package to be shipped in the package or box' with thecharacters to make up the complete sign. In this way, the characterswill not require nearly as much space The individual templates areplaced in register and the resultant package 'willbe smaller and capableof shipment at'a minimum freight rate.

In the package or-box in which shipment is made, there will be includedbrackets i9 and fastening elements 2! at least equal in number to thenumber of hangers E2 to be, used cn the sign.

The package also will include the complete template 38, and the packageas thus received by the local installer will contain everythingnecessary for completing the sign. h v

The package may be directly carried by themstaller to the buildingonwhich the sign is to be placed. The complete template 38 will beplaced against the surface to carry the sign, for example against thebrick wall indicated in Figure 8 by the numeral 45. The top or bottomedge of the complete template may be lined up with a horizontal mortarjoint of a brick or similar masonry wall, or it may be otherwisearranged level if the sign is to be horizontal. The space between thelines 49 and All is then centered with respect to the space which is tocarry the sign, or otherwise horizontally located. The complete templateis then supported in position by any suitable means, and mostconveniently by strips 36 of adhesive tape, as shown in Figure 8. Apunch then may be used through each of the openings 42 to locate thecenters to receive the fastening elements 2! for the brackets. In thecase of a masonry wall, it will be necessary to use a suitable implementsuch as a stone drill to drill openings corresponding in position to theopenings 52. These openings may be drilled with respect to all of theindividual openings 42 before removing the complete template 38, or thepositions of the openings may be marked with a center punch, whereuponthe template 38 may be removed and openings drilled at the markedpoints. Where the sign is to be attached to a wood surface, it merelywill be necessary to mark the surface through each opening 42, whereuponthe template 38 may be pulled from the supporting surface.

As a result of the foregoing step, the surface to support the sign willbear a mark or opening to receive each of the fastening elements 2|. Itis not even necessary for the operator to bear in mind what signcharacters are to be placed in position, it merely being necessary forhim to ap ply a fastening element 2| through the aperture 20 of abracket l9 and screw or otherwise secure the fastening element to thesupporting structure at each mark. When this has been done, there willbe a bracket arranged exactly in the correct location to receive adepending end of a hanger I2 secured to the proper letter,

It will be apparent that the marks, dents, or openings made in the backfaces of the letters at the factory will exactly coincide in arrangementwith the openings marked by means of the template 38. An operator willthen attach one of the hangers to each of the marks on each letter,whereupon the sign is ready for assembly. In the present case, the threehangers attached to the letter R will exactly coincide with the firstthree marked openings in the supporting structure, starting from theleft in Figure 8. The operator will merely place the lower extremitiesof the depending ends it of the hangers for the letter R over theapertures it of the corresponding brackets and move the letter directlydownwardly. Each hanger will then engage its bracket as shown in Figure3. The. same procedure is followed for each of the letters andregardless of the positions of the hangers on each letter, the. properbrackets will be correctly placed to receive the depending ends of thehangers.

Thus it will be" apparent that practically all measurements areeliminated from the 'work of the installer, it"merely being necessary toplace the template 38 as a single entity in the proper position on thesupporting surface. Regardless of the number of letters or characterson'the sign, the exact location for the brackets [9 will be readilydeterminable without any skill on the part of the installer. Obviously,the letters of the sign need not be horizontally arranged, nor need thesign be limited to a single line of letters or characters. Almostwithout regard to the type of sign, a single template 38 serves tolocate all of the component parts of the sign. If desired, of course, asheet template 38 may be used for each individual word of any othergroup of characters forming part of the finished sign. The presentinvention thus renders it practicable to make any sign complete at acentral factory and to ship it as a packaged unit with all of thearticles necessary for the complete location and erection of the sign byrelatively unskilled labor, it being unnecessary for the installer tounderstand anything about the arranging of the sign elements in order toperform a perfect job of installation. The present invention thuspermits the economical manufactureo-f signs at a central plant on a realproduction basis, thus permitting the effecting of economies inmanufacture. Moreover, the simple elements employed for supporting thecharacters likewise facilitate economical manufacture, and thesupporting elements being arranged rearwardly of the sign characterspermit the use of a sign in which the supporting means is substantiallyinvisible.

It requires a direct lifting force to remove any letter or characterfrom its supporting means. To positively prevent accidentaldislodgement, the split ends of the hangers are spread slightly as shownin Figure 2 so that the lower extremities of the ends It are slightlylarger in one transverse dimension than the diameter of each opening l8.Thus the sign characters are positively prevented from becomingaccidentally dislodged.

However, if it is desired'to remove the sign characters, forexample forthe purpose of repainting them or painting the supporting surface overwhich they are arranged, a reasonable exertion of upward force .willdislodge each sign character. The characters are readily replaceable inthe manner previouslyv described, the rounding of the extremities of thedepending ends l6 facilitating the insertion of the ends 16 in theapertures I8 of the brackets.

I claim:

In a sign including a three dimensional character formed of penetrablematerial, the improvement comprising a plurality of hangers fixed to therear side of ,said character, each hanger having a horizontal threadedend threaded into said character from the rear side thereof, a collarspaced from such end to each hanger to limit the depth of penetration ofsaid threaded end into said character, each hanger having its oppositeend depending substantially vertically at a point spaced from saidcollar, the distance from the collar to the depending end of each hangerbeing identical whereby, when all of said'hangers are threaded into saidcharacter with the collars thereof contacting with the rear face of saidcharacter, all of said depending ends will lie in a single verticalplane, and brackets corresponding in number and arrangement to saidhangers and secured against the supporting structure, each brackethaving a horizontalportion provided with a vertical opening to receivethe depending end of one of said hangers,.each such depending end beingsplit to be spread to prevent upward displacement of said characterexcept by the use of force, and each such depending end being rounded atits lower extremity whereby, after said depending ends have been 10removed from said openings, said rounded ends while seated in saidopenings, upon the applica- 8' 7 tion of downward vertcial force, willcontract said split ends for're-insertion in said openings.

JACK W. E. SIMPSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 842,933 Bement Feb. 5, 1907 947,377 De Puy Jan. 25, 19101,822,265 Babcock' Sept. 8, 1931 2,284,626 Adler June 2, 1942

